


and then

by iffenyeplease



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Other, also she's fifteen at the start, and I don't even care, and a pokemon, it's a human, so that is underage, there is only the mildest hint of a plot, you read that right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-10-22 01:31:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10686996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iffenyeplease/pseuds/iffenyeplease
Summary: Iona was the forgotten child of a wealthy family, looked after only by her Girafarig and the maids of the house. It wasn't until her Girafarig died and her brother threw an Eevee at her to raise that things began to change in her life, and my what changes they were....





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing this purely for fun. I'm not bothering to make it pretty or perfect or even mildly coherent. I'm literally just writing to write and exploring something that makes me go "hmmm." If you're expecting anything beyond that you're looking in the wrong place. Also if you don't like Pokemon doing wicked things to their trainers then you'd best back away now. Trust me. It'll be better that way.
> 
> Honestly this came about from wondering what would stop Pokemon from being very effective rapists of humans. They can interbreed to an absurd degree, so why would humans be exempt? Would it just be general disinterest? Would all Pokemon have the same disinterest in humans? Why? If a human and Pokemon had relations then what would that mean? If it were a Slowpoke then that would be different from an Alakazam, wouldn't it? Some have human levels of intelligence or beyond. What would stop them from being able to consent? Granted, my knowledge of Pokemon is now almost twenty years old so I'm just flailing around in the dark with this story.
> 
> Also, what are "tenses"? I hear they're quite something, but I've never really gotten the hang of them.

If things had been sudden they would've been easier. If it hadn't been such a gradual progression, such a natural step from one to the next, then she would've been able to wrap her mind around it with nothing worse than a shrug and a firm resolve to never let that happen again. Iona knew all this, but it didn't make things any easier in the here and now, and especially not with her mother staring her down and demanding to know what was going on.

As her Sylveon slinked out of the bushes, winking at her as he went, Iona found herself contemplating the question far more than her mother probably wanted her to. How had she gotten here? How had things turned out like this to the point of her being all but naked in the creek with only one Pokemon to keep her company?

Iona supposed it had started with her Girafarig. Raffy had been a gift from a distant aunt, farther back then Iona could really remember. Her childhood was alarmingly full of holes, memories seeming to leak out whenever she turned around, but most of the things she could recall with a smile involved Raffy. She was never the strongest Pokemon in the house, that honor went to her brother's Pokemon at any given time, but she was sweet and steadfast. She was the one who comforted Iona when she cried in her closet because her mother had yelled again or her father had hit her.

Her brother's favorite past time was, of course, trying to torment Iona. It was just what brothers did, her mother had told her once, and then told Iona to stop bothering her. Raffy was the one who protected them both after her brother realized that the Girafarig would always throw herself in front of her human no matter how powerful the Pokemon she was facing happened to be. That was a part of her childhood she would happily have forgotten. Instead Iona could remember screaming his name until her voice broke, “Tristen” becoming a shattered screech, when his Pokemon of the time, a huge Houndoom, pinned Raffy to the ground and was snapping at her throat. Tristen had been laughing, egging it on, saying in quick asides to Iona that, look, her stupid Girafarig was this close to getting its throat torn out. Raffy had been crying too, thrashing, her tail lunging to try and bite, when their father had stormed out of his study down the hall and kicked the Houndoom square in the ribs.

Surprised by the blow it had slammed into the wall and slumped down in a daze. Iona could still remember how she'd turned to her father with grateful tears, ready to throw herself against him in the biggest hug she could manage, when he'd wheeled to face her and demanded to know what she'd done to upset her brother. She had gawped, her mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp's, when he'd raised his hand in a move she knew so well.

She'd cringed down, trying to avoid what she knew was coming, when she heard a smack and Raffy cried out. She cracked open one eye, then the other, then turned to stare. There was her Raffy, panting, standing firmly between her father and Iona. Her tail was snapping in agitation but she made no other move. She stared down Iona's father, a giant of a man to Iona's way of thinking, and didn't flinch when he lifted his hand again. Her fur was mussed, her chest heaving, but she stood strong.

Her father had laughed, lowering his hand. He turned to go back into his study, shaking his head and smiling in a way that Iona never learned to like, when Raffy's tail snapped down on Iona's shirt sleeve. Before her father vanished back through the door Raffy had started moving, hustling them both down the hallway before Tristen could regroup. Iona found out later from a maid that he'd had to use a hyper potion to get his Houndoom moving again, but not before he'd kicked it himself as punishment for letting itself be taken by surprise like that.

Her brother went through Pokemon fairly quickly, coming back from boarding school with some new and vicious one that he'd gotten. She didn't know what happened to the old ones, though she could remember looking out the window after her brother had been bragging about how much stronger this Fearow was compared to his old one and seeing a very familiar Fearow dragging itself into the forest at the edge of the property, one wing hanging at wrong angles.

She and Raffy made a game of hiding after that. Once one of the maids, happening upon them, had asked how she wasn't able to see them there under the table. Iona had looked at the maid, looked at Raffy, then shrugged. “She makes us hard to see,” she'd said. The maid had pressed on, saying she had a psychic Pokemon herself and was wanting to know what move that was that Raffy was using, and Iona couldn't do more than shrug. Iona had no interest in training Raffy, not really, since you don't train your friends and that's what Raffy was to her. She didn't even know the names of the things Raffy knew how to do, or if the things she did had names at all. She simply trusted Raffy to do what she needed to when she needed to, nothing more or less, and Raffy did just fine at that.

The library was a welcome refuge for them both, especially since it never seemed to occur to her family that she would ever be in there. Granted, in a house that had double digit rooms Iona supposed they would've thought she'd hide anywhere else first since, so far as they knew, books weren't something she could understand anyway. Once when Iona was younger she'd asked her mother why she didn't go to school like Tristen did. Her mother had laughed. “You're too stupid,” she'd said, and that was that. She only learned to read because a maid had happened upon her hidden in a back room with a picture book of Pokemon she'd found in Tristen's old nursery.

The maid, a kind woman with dark eyes, had sat down beside Iona and pointed to one of the pictures. “That's a Caterpie,” she said softly. “This letter is 'c' and that is the letter here,” she pointed from the letter to the Pokemon. Iona had stared in fascination. The thought that the symbols she saw meant anything was shocking.

Raffy, misreading her human's sudden tension, had started to make a warning noise, ready to intervene, when Iona flipped the page, almost tearing it in her haste, and cried, “What's this one? Does it mean something too? Do they all mean something?”

The maid, Ava, had sat there going over every letter until the little girl was able to say them on her own when she saw the symbols. It would be a long time before the letters truly stuck, but that day was a definite beginning to the process of it. Raffy had watched the whole process with just as much fascination, her tail's mouth hanging open. It wasn't until Ava's Pokemon, a Mr. Mime, came in with a broom and communicated to his trainer that he'd finished the rooms she'd given him that any of them realized how much time had passed. Ava had thanked him, returned him to his Pokeball, and gotten up to leave with one last smile for Iona.

Iona tried to be a big girl, a grown up girl, but when she opened her mouth to say thank you she began to cry instead. Her words got all jumbled up in her mouth, fighting around the big lump that had caught in her throat, and she cried harder.

Ava leaned down and wrapped her arms around little, shaking shoulders. Raffy leaned against Iona's back, offering what support she could and making small sounds of discontent as her human continued to cry. Eventually the tears had faded and Iona, breath still hitching, was able to say thank you.

The maid nodded and whispered, “I will come back in five days to clean these rooms. If you find more books like this I will help you read them, okay? It can be our secret.” She'd held up one finger in front of her mouth and winked. Iona felt very grown up when she returned the gesture. It was good to have a secret like that, all warm in her chest and keeping her company when her parents got angry.

Iona didn't have many happy memories of her childhood, but Ava was a great part of the ones she did have. Raffy was slow to accept the maid, but eventually trusted the woman enough that Raffy would go and help her Mr. Mime while Ava was teaching Iona. Those were good days.

The greatest heartbreak of her young life was when Ava came, just as she always did, and told Iona as gently as she could that she would not be coming back. Her daughter was very sick in Violet City. That day was a blur to Iona even so many years later, but the memory that stuck out from that awful day was when Ava had hugged her tight and told Iona that, if ever she needed it, she could come to where Ava was and she would have a safe place to stay. Then she'd stood back up, smiling through her tears, and said that until then Iona could trust in her Pokemon to keep her safe.

Life after that had turned into a mess of days that only changed in what books she was able to sneak out. She learned about mathematics and science and things that no one ever told her, struggling through the words she didn't know until she could guess what most of them were. The ones she couldn't she furtively found in a dictionary. Her father collected books like some people collected Pokemon, amassing a collection he never touched just for the look of it. Iona had known he would've blacked her eye if he'd known she was taking books but Raffy helped her be sneaky about it. If it hadn't been for those books she never would've realized that the world she know in her family's house was not life as it should be. It was something she never knew if she was really grateful for knowing.

That was her childhood, or what she counted as her childhood. It ended when she turned fourteen, though she wouldn't know until later. That was when Raffy got sick. It was a slow sickness, a creeping one, and even though she begged for days her parents refused to take Raffy to a Pokemon Center. One of the maids was kind enough to give her potions to ease Raffy's pain. It was all she could do. Iona spent long days curled up with her Girafarig, stroking her long neck and whispering about how wonderful life was with Raffy there beside her.

When Raffy passed it was another day that Iona couldn't really remember after. She barely remembered laying long hours with what once had been her sister, her best friend, her only companion, until one of the maids had braved the sick room and forced Iona to get up. It took a long time. The maids were kind enough to shelter her from her parents as she went about in a daze. Thinking back on it Iona couldn't help but be amazed that the women had gone through such great lengths to protect her but then her books had long since taught her that kindness was not the aberration her upbringing had led her to think it was.

She was still in shock from Raffy's death, still passing her days with reaching to put a hand on Raffy's back as she wandered the halls of the house, when in her daze she found herself directly in the path of Tristen. She froze, hand still hovering where her heart had been, when he laughed. “That Girafarig croaked, huh? Dad told me about that. He said you were cuddling with a dead body. Gross.”

Iona hadn't answered. Her voice was stuck in her throat, trapped behind the pain that pulsed with her heartbeat. Raffy wasn't there. Raffy would've known what to do. Raffy would've hid them.

Caught in these thoughts Iona was barely able to move when her brother tossed a Pokeball at her. It struck her shoulder and it was only dumb luck that let her catch it before it hit the ground. She looked at it in her hands then looked at Tristen, not sure what was happening.

“You've got free time. Make sure that Eevee doesn't die. I just bought it from a breeder. He said it was the biggest one he had. Dad promised me a trip out to Frost Cavern after finals so don't kill it before then.”

Iona had been spared trying to answer him, though she doubted she could have anyway. Tristen had called out to a Pokemon she hadn't seen, a big spiky thing that seemed like it shouldn't be able to fit in the hallway, and went in to their father's study. He'd been tossing another Pokeball up and down in his hand when he vanished through the door. Iona didn't stop to try and figure out what had happened. Even without Raffy there to guide her she knew that her brother's good humor would vanish soon enough and that she needed to be gone long before then.

So she vanished first, hiding out in one of the guest bedrooms, before releasing the Pokemon she'd been given. It was indeed an Eevee, just like the ones in the picture book she'd found those many years ago, and it had yipped angrily at her from where it had been released onto the bed.

Iona swallowed hard. “H-hello. I.. M-my name is Iona.” She held out her hand and didn't even realize she'd done it until the Eevee had stopped yipping and tilted its head at her in confusion. “Oh. I'm s-s-sorry. I've do-do-don't – I h-haven't –“ she swallowed again, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. When she opened her eyes again the Eevee had sat itself down primly, its tail twitching, and was regarding her with interest instead of anger. “I'm s-sorry. My br-brother just threw you at me. I do-don't know what to d-d-do.”

At the mention of Tristen the Eevee growled and its fur fluffed angrily. Iona nodded. “His n-n-name is Tri-tristen. I don't know if he t-told you.”

The Eevee shook its head. Iona blinked in surprise. She hadn't known many Pokemon except for Raffy but even the more human-ish ones she'd seen hadn't all known such a human gesture. The Eevee huffed a breath, stood up, and pawed at the coverlet. It looked at her, pawed the coverlet, then looked at her again.

Eventually it dawned on her that it wanted her to come to it and she said, “Oh! I'm s-sorry E-e-eevee. I'm... th-this isn't my b-best d-day.” She walked up to the edge of the bed. She didn't know how big Eevees usually were but this one was big enough to look her in the eye when it reared up and put its paws on her shoulders. It trilled in question, tilting its head at her.

“Umm... M-m-m-my... I ha-ha-ha-had...” Suddenly the grief was there, choking her again. She sank to the floor and braced her forehead against the side of the bed. Iona closed her eyes and focused on breathing, trying not to notice that when she reached out for Raffy her hand met only air.

Then there was a thump, a skitter of paws, and fur under her hand. Iona looked over and saw through a haze of tears that the Eevee had come down to the floor to join her. It had wriggled under her hand and was looking at her with kindness in its eyes. She made a sound then, harsh and startled, that took a moment to register as being a laugh.

“My R-raffy.” Iona choked out. “She di-died.”

The Eevee trilled again and leaned against her thigh, a solid weight to ground her against the grief that made her head swim. She didn't know if it actually understand her words, not all Pokemon could, but it seemed to understand that she needed comfort and steadiness.

“Th-th-thank you,” she whispered thickly. “M-may I hold you?”

The Eevee looked at her for a second before it surprised her again by nodding. It climbed into her lap like it had been born to the task, stretching up to hook its paws over her shoulder and tucking its head between her shoulder and jaw. She hiccuped, leaning her head against its fur, and said, “What sh-should I call you?”

It nipped her jaw gently and she giggled weakly. “I'll ask l-later, then.” It trilled its approval. Iona folded herself carefully over it, holding it close, and let the silence embrace them both.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, she has a stutter. Why? Because some people stutter. I'm not making a statement of any kind by having her stutter. It's just a thing she does. I also don't always remember to add it in, so that's a thing too. It doesn't mean anything either way.

By the next day Tristen was already gone. The maids signaled as much to Iona when she darted into the kitchen for food, snatching up the tray they had ready for her from its hiding place and racing back out before anyone but the maids could see her.

The Eevee turned up its nose when she offered it a bit of pastry. “Do you n-not want it?” she asked.

It turned away, scanning her bedroom, and then ran across to snatch a bandanna off a stuffed Bulbasaur. After a bit of wrestling it was triumphant, prancing back to her with its prize. She watched in mild bewilderment as it laid out the bandanna and then laughed when the Eevee proceeded to daintily pick out parts of their breakfast and lay it in the bandanna. When it was finished it nosed the bandanna into folds over the food, then looked pointedly from the bundle it had made to the window nearby.

“Outs-s-side? You w-want to go out th-there to eat?” She bit her lip when it nodded. “I'm no-not ss-ure, Eevee. There are a lot of sc-scary Pokemon outside.”

The Eevee gave her the most deadpan look she'd ever seen in her life. The grief in her chest didn't feel as crushing as she laughed. “Okay. You w-win.” She stuffed a biscuit into her mouth, added a few Berries to the bandanna, then tied it off and tucked it into the bag she slung over her shoulder.

The Eevee seemed smug as it walked beside her, though its enthusiasm was dampened by the time they finally made it outside. The sun was hidden behind clouds by then and a chill wind caught them both and made Iona shiver.

It turned to look at her in question. She shrugged. “You w-wanted t-to.”

It made a grumbling sound then struck off down the path that led away from the door. It was one of the side doors, out of sight of the windows her parents would probably look out of, so it wasn't nicely paved or any such. It was simply a path that, honestly, Iona had never dared to brave before. Raffy had never really wanted to go outside.

It did feel nice though, Iona had to admit. The sun peeked through the clouds here and there and the wind shifted from chilling to pleasant the further they got. The Eevee seemed happy enough now, leading the way like it had been down the path a thousand times. Iona followed with a lighter heart though part of her was still scanning around for the dangerous Pokemon her mother had always said lived out here.

They didn't even see any Pokemon aside from a flock of Pidgeys that didn't seem overly concerned with their presence. They looked her over in a fright when she came around the curve of the path, true, but then they relaxed when she made no move toward them and went back to hunting for food. The Eevee paid them no mind at all but instead scrambled up onto a boulder nearby, trilling triumphantly once it reached the top.

Iona laughed to see its efforts, the tightness in her chest easing. She took a second to crumble up a bit of bread and throw it out to the delight of the Pidgeys before turning back to the Eevee.

“Hey,” she called up to it as it came carefully back down to join her at ground level, “are yo-you a g-g-girl Eevee?”

It barked a seeming negative response, more intent on navigating its footing, before Iona reached out and picked it up from the ledge it had been figuring out. It huffed at her but then flipped over onto its back and stretched out in her arms, nearly tipping itself out of her embrace, inadvertently showing Iona that it was, indeed, male. She patted his belly awkwardly, trying not to drop him, then set him down near a much smaller and flatter boulder. 

Iona laid out their meal and the Eevee darted over to lean up and lick her cheek in apparent approval. She giggled at his tongue then kissed him on the head. “Let's e-eat before the Pi-pidgeys take it all,” she said.

That was their first trip out past the house, but not their last. It became something of a tradition and then a necessity when her father came roaring out of his study one day a few weeks later, angry as all hell at something and looking for an outlet. Iona ducked under a table, Eevee pressed up against her side, but she'd forgotten that it was Raffy's skill that had made them impossible to find. Eevee had no such skill and her father was determined. He'd dragged her out by the leg, not even allowing her to get up off the floor before he was screaming down at her. His Gardevoir had watched from the doorway, her petals folded and as much sorrow as she could show on her face. She made no move to help Iona.

Eevee had no such issues. As soon as he realized what was happening he jumped out, landing squarely on Iona's chest and crying out angrily at her father. He stopped screaming long enough to go, “What the hell is this? Is this Tristen's Eevee?” then leaned down to slap Iona across the face. “What are you doing stealing your brother's Pokemon, Iona?!”

Eevee wasn't having it. He lunged forward and sank his teeth into her father's hand, hard and deep. The man roared as he stumbled back, flailing to try and get the Pokemon to let go, and only then did the Gardevoir step forward. Her psychic powers took hold of Eevee and pried his jaws loose.

Iona scrambled backward until her back hit a wall, opening her arms to receive the Eevee as Gardevoir sent him floating to her. She had maneuvered herself between Iona's father and the two huddled against the wall and in the time it took him to get around her Iona had collected her wits enough to force words out of the tangle they'd gotten into in her throat, all matted and snarled. “G-g-gave to me! Tristen g-gave me the Eevee to take c-c-c-care of for him!”

The man stopped, blinked, and said, “Oh. I see.” Then he turned and walked away. His Gardevoir followed after a moment, pausing only long enough to throw a sorrowful look back at Iona and the Eevee with her.

Iona gulped in a deep breath. “I th-think,” she said to the Eevee, “we-we should g-g-g-go ou-ou-outside.” Eevee trilled in agreement and the two made great haste in getting outside, especially when they heard another door slam further in the house.

The curious thing about their adventures outside was that Iona didn't see the dangerous Pokemon she'd always been told were out there. If anything she met nothing much bigger than a Marrill near the water's edge, peeking out from behind the cat tails, and even those were more likely to run away than stay and offer challenge. It wasn't until Iona asked one of the maids, a no-nonsense woman named Mary, that she got an answer. The woman had snorted and said, “Well do you go out there kitted up and ready to truss up the first one you find to take home?”

“N-no. We just go w-w-walking. So-sometimes I take a lit-little extra food for the P-pidgeys and Spear-rows. The Murkrows st-steal it sometimes.”

The maid nodded and motioned for Iona to take the other side of the bed sheet she was fitting onto one of the many guest beds. “There you go. You don't mean them any harm and they know that. Pokemon are much smarter than some people –” here she threw a dark look in the direction of Iona's mother's office, where she was probably brokering another Gym deal, “–want to admit. Just ask your Eevee there. He's as clever as they come.” Mary leaned down and addressed him directly, “I've met Kadabra's that hadn't your cleverness, sir. Not half as much.” She straightened and winked at Iona. “Then again maybe I've only met very silly Kadabra's.” Her Alakazam made an affronted sound and gently smacked the maid with one of its spoons. Mary laughed outright at that.

Iona nodded. “Raffy was clever too, remember?” she said with a twinge of remembered grief. The majority of her felt only happy, remembering her beloved Girafarig, and she smiled when Mary nodded back. “That she was. She was smart, Raffy was, but our Eevee is a cleverer boy still.”

With this in mind Eevee and Iona began venturing deeper into the woods. They spent many long hours under the trees and before too long Iona began bringing books out with them. By then months had passed with only a passing realization that Tristen's finals must've come and gone, along with her birthday, but he hadn't returned yet, though Iona was careful not to mention that to her parents whenever she did see them. 

Instead she focused on Eevee, who was now even bigger, something that shocked the maids when they encountered him. One, a girl from a breeding farm further out in Kanto, had told Iona that she'd never seen one that size before and that he was sure to be massive whenever he evolved into his next form. Iona agreed, never having seen another Eevee before, and had told Eevee when they curled up together in her bed that night. He had licked her jaw sleepily and made a proud sort of sound, puffing out his chest. Iona hadn't said what had followed that thought: Tristen never let anyone have any Pokemon more impressive than his own. He was sure to take Eevee back.

She closed her eyes tight against the pain the thought evoked and fell asleep holding Eevee closer than was perhaps comfortable for him. He didn't make a sound of protest, only licked her again in reassurance. It had become his habit after that first meeting. Iona found it soothing.

Iona lost track of the days as they went by, the only difference becoming what books they read together out under the trees or a few noteworthy events like them stumbling upon a cave whose only occupants were a reclusive Solrock and a small group of Whismur that, after a disastrously loud first encounter, quickly grew used to she and Eevee in their space and gladly shared the cave when the rain came sheeting down. They seemed to grow especially fond of the pair when Iona brought out one of her books and read it aloud in the cave. The group of Whismurs crowded in close, their whispers growing even softer the longer she read until they were all but silent, listening. She supposed that her voice, which she kept low and soothing, was a nice change from all the sounds that hurt them.

Iona was in the middle of reading out a book about mathematics when she realized that she was happy. It wasn't happy like she read about in stories, mind you. It didn't make her feel like she was floating or able to rule the world or anything. Instead she felt warm and content, sitting there in the cave with Eevee at her side, trilling happily while the Whismurs listened and the Solrock drifted at the edge of the light.

The feeling dimmed whenever they were in the house, haunted as it was by her parents' sporadic rages and the threat of her brother returning, but she tried not to dwell on that. Instead she remembered the trees and naps in the cave, curled up in the dark recesses in a nest the Whismurs had presented her with one day when she and Eevee went to visit. It wasn't as nice as her bed, just a bit of ground in the cave they'd hollowed out, but the thought of being with creatures that wanted her there made it infinitely more preferable, and her honor guard of jumpy Whismurs let her sleep safely knowing that any approach of any kind would not be unannounced.

She made other Pokemon friends as the time passed, each one coming out of hiding once they realized she didn't mean to catch them or even fight them. She didn't know most of their names except for the ones that greeted them, like the Mawile that made of habit of sneaking up to nibble at her backside when she wasn't paying attention. Iona never failed to shriek and jump, which seemed to amuse the Pokemon to no end. Eevee play fought with some of them, and grew ever stronger as he did, but she guessed the lack of her shouting orders at him meant the Pokemon felt safe in engaging with him even if they did lose the longer it went on. They lost with grace and Eevee learned to win with just as much grace when Iona gently reminded him not to gloat after she caught him preening and barking at a felled opponent.

It wasn't until the weather started to turn, a definite chill chasing the leaves from the trees, that Iona realized how soon it would be that her brother would be returning. Even if finals had passed by he would be back for the holidays and their father usually took him out traveling then. Iona shook off the thought, but she and Eevee spent more time outside, bundling up in coats and leaving blankets in the cave for when she couldn't bear to go back to the house just yet. Sometimes they even stayed the night out in the cave.

It was one brisk day that Iona stumbled upon something entirely new. One of the maids had given her a book the day before, winking and saying she was old enough now for such things, and Iona had brought it along to read to her Whismurs. It had started ordinarily enough, a story of a man who was on a quest to find a Legendary Pokemon and seek its counsel because his clan was at war with another. It was just another adventure story until about halfway through when he encountered a woman at an inn. She was a powerful Pokemon trainer and a seer, the book said, and when they went to the man's room together Iona started to cotton on that this story wasn't like the ones she'd read before.

She'd been propped up in the back of the cave, a little lantern at her side, and in the middle of reading about them being on the bed together when she'd slowed to a stop and stared at the page. Eevee, dozing, lifted his head and trilled in question. She felt her face heating up and said, “Th-this story is different, Eevee.”

The Whismurs, made slower by the changing weather, had murmured from where they were leaned up against each other and dozing as well. Eevee, however, had roused himself and climbed into her lap. Now when he braced his paws on her shoulders his eyes were above Iona's and he used that height to stare down at her. He made the questioning sound again, this time with an impatient edge.

Iona gently pushed him back down. “Fine. I'll keep reading.” she huffed, trying to ignore how hot her face was getting. Iona soldiered on, reading about how his hand slid up the seer's leg and under her skirt and how his other hand was under her shirt and by the time Iona closed the book and her eyes both she was very confused by what she'd read. She shifted uncomfortably, very aware that her face wasn't the only thing that felt heated.

Eevee was still in her lap as she shifted, closing her thighs tight and seeing if that made the pressure between them go away. It didn't. Instead it just felt different in a way she'd never felt before. His paw landed square on the part that felt the hottest as he moved to readjust and she bit her lip with a small sigh.

Eevee noticed. She cracked an eye open to see him tilting his head and staring down at his own paw. He moved it again, this time deliberately, and Iona was mortified when she gave a sigh in response. Her body shifted, seemingly on its own, so that his paw was putting steadier pressure on that part of her.

Eevee was now paying much more attention to what her body was doing, his focus now on her breasts where her nipples were framed against the fabric of her camisole. His paw came up to her breast and brushed against one of her nipples. Her breasts were big enough now that all the bras she had didn't fit, leaving her no choice but to go without. Layering kept her covered in the house but the cave was a safe place to let the layers fall, leaving her now in only a camisole and long skirt.

As his paw brushed her nipple Iona felt something twisting a little inside her. It was oddly nice though, not bad like when her father yelled or her mother scolded. It was like in the story with the seer. She had talked about a tension like this too, and she had been happy about it. The seer hadn't been scared when the man had put his hands there, Iona remembered, so why should she be? And this was Eevee. If she trusted anything in the whole world it was Eevee. She closed her eyes, wondering at the feeling, when she felt Eevee hook his paw in the neckline of her camisole and drag it down, baring her breast completely.

She hissed in a breath through her teeth when Eevee licked her nipple. His tongue was unlike anything Iona had ever felt before. Her back arched away from the cave wall before she'd had time to think about what she was doing, and Eevee seemed to take that as an invitation. He licked her nipple again, slower, and then paused when he heard her intake of breath. She had time to wonder if he was doing it on purpose before his mouth closed completely around it, his teeth carefully held so when he suckled at her there was only the barest sensation of teeth there at all, though he continued to use his tongue to great effect. As another groan made itself heard she realized that he was most definitely doing this on purpose.

Iona squirmed. “That... Eevee, that feels really good,” she breathed. “I don't know what's happening,” she admitted, “but is it okay for me to lay down? In the book they laid down,” she explained quickly only to open her eyes and find Eevee regarding her with an expression in his eyes she could only call incredulous. It was especially ridiculous considering he still had her nipple in his mouth and even as she giggled she felt his tongue brush against it. Eevee pulled away from her long enough for her to lay down on the blankets, hopping off onto the side and watching.

“D-do you think I... In the st-story she took off her clothes. Should I...?” she trailed off when she realized that Eevee could hardly know what was going on anymore than she did. Iona instead reached down and hooked her fingers in her panties, sliding them down from under her skirt. She left them hooked onto one ankle, not wanting to lose them, and laid back in their nest. Her skirt was still spread over her knees, hiding those heated parts of her from view.

Iona let out a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She spread her legs open and slowly her hand traveled down, tracing a path down her stomach only to be pushed aside by Eevee. She let him do it, relaxing when she felt him walk up between her legs to settle between her thighs, pushing up under her skirt as he did. He tended to stay under her skirts when it pleased him, since apparently that was quite the comfortable place. He leaned against her, something he'd never done before, until she opened her legs further, then gasped when she felt him nuzzling against the parts of her body she'd never really thought to explore.

It didn't take her long to realize that Eevee was listening to her as he moved. Every lick and nuzzle was followed by a brief moment before he moved again. This became more obvious when he got curious enough to nuzzle his nose in between the folds he was facing, tracing upward slowly. He stopped entirely when Iona gasped sharply, taking a second before she felt his tongue trace over when his nose had found. She made a sound she didn't know she could make then, and as Eevee began to try out different licks, this one longer then another softer then this one curling his tongue completely around, she found herself making more and more sounds that surprised her.

She didn't understand what was happening when she felt her legs began to tense up, only that whatever it was she didn't want it to stop. Eevee seemed to be of the same mindset as he kept licking, eventually finding a pattern that had her breathless. Then, sudden as a lightening strike, Iona felt herself coming apart in a way that was completely new. Eevee kept licking as she cried out, the Whismurs raising their own cry before they realized it was only Iona, and his licking only slowed when her legs collapsed and she fell flat again, not having realized her back had arched up to begin with.

Eevee nuzzled her thigh as she panted. He pushed her skirt up to her hips, exposing her to the cool air of the cave. It helped. “Eevee, th-that... wow. What w-w-was that?”

He made a noncommittal sound then started nosing at her again before she felt him moving about. Eevee trilled at her in question and Iona propped herself up enough to see that he'd positioned himself with his forelegs on either side of her hips and it took her a second to realize what the flash of red was that she was seeing between them. He didn't move except to tilt his head and trill again.

“Eevee?” She laid her head back down. “I tr-trust you, Eevee.”

He licked her hip, making her gasp a little again, then she felt him pushing forward. It didn't hurt, not really, but it felt very different. It felt like she was full but in a new sort of way. She didn't really have time to contemplate it though since as soon as he slid inside her Eevee began to thrust in and out very quickly, making little sounds of exertion as he did. Iona felt her body moving with him on instinct, her hips rising and her hands grasping at the blankets as that tension began to build again. It felt so different now with him inside her and Iona couldn't begin to think of how before she was breaking apart again and collapsing down onto her back. Eevee kept going, though he did lick her hip as he did in what might have been an apology or maybe he just liked how her skin tasted now that a thin sheen of sweat had made itself known.

Iona moaned when he began thrusting even faster, wondering almost deliriously how he could even go that fast, when he shuddered once, thrust again, then went completely still. She gave a startled “Oh!” when she felt something hot inside her and propped herself up on her elbows to see liquid dripping where Eevee had pulled out of her. It seemed to offend Eevee, as he immediately began nuzzling close so he could lick it up.

Eventually he cleaned up all he cared to, or at least was satisfied with it, because he circled around the nest up to Iona's chest. He snuggled up against her breasts, almost idle in licking one nipple as Iona giggled. “That d-does still feel go-good,” she said with only a little breathiness to her voice. That seemed to make Eevee happy and he took the nipple into his mouth to tease with his tongue while Iona shivered, her eyes sliding closed. She felt completely boneless, all tension gone, but flickers were coming back where Eevee was licking at her and it didn't help when he used his paw to rub the other nipple, a bit awkward but still effective.

“Eevee, what was tha-that? What d-d-did we do? The book di-didn't talk about all those things. It felt... it felt w-wonderful,” she admitted, raising one hand languidly to stroke Eevee's head. He made a noncommittal sort of sound, seeming to regain his enthusiasm the longer he spent laving on her nipple with his tongue. She made a sound that was between a giggle and a moan when he switched to the other, apparently aware that he shouldn't play favorites. How he knew these things she'd never know, she giggled as she thought to herself.

“If you ke-keep that up then th-that thing m-m-may happen ag-g-gain,” she warned him. “What was that, anyw-w-way?” Iona squirmed as tension began building in her again, trying and failing to think beyond the feelings as they built. Eevee seemed to know exactly what he was doing, she thought with some puzzlement. Then again they had been constant companions for months now. If any Pokemon knew how to read her it was him.

Iona was kept from pondering on this by the sound of shuffling beside their nest. “Who...?” she opened her eyes and leaned up, dislodging Eevee from his place (he grumbled at that) and looking to see the Mawile they'd befriended during their time exploring. It came out to share their meals sometimes, or just to sit with them in the quiet. It was watching them with interest while the Whismurs ignored it entirely.

It nodded to them then slowly moved until it was at Iona's feet. Her skirt was still rucked up around her hips, she realized, as the Mawile turned its back so its mouth gaped open at her. Still moving slowly, it backed up until the Mawile stood between her legs with its mouth hovering close to where heat still pulsed in her body, sparked again by Eevee at her breasts.

“Oh, d-did you see us?” she asked the Mawile. It made an affirmative sound, then a tongue came snaking out of its mouth to gently caress Iona's folds. 

“Mawile, did y-y-you want to... to d-do what Eevee did?”

The tongue advanced in lieu of a verbal response, one side of the jaw stretching up over her hips so its teeth lightly traced over her skin. The tongue delved deeper, running up the length of her to find that same spot that Eevee had made such use of earlier. The Mawile seemed just as pleased as he had been upon finding it, judging by how enthusiastically its tongue began to move.

Iona's eyes slid closed again and she moaned. Eevee made a low sound, pleased, and leaned up to lick her lips before he went back to her breasts and began suckling on one of her nipples, pleased sounds drifting up to her as he did. She just tried to keep herself from coming apart, gripping the blankets and whimpering as the sensations swept through her. If she'd thought the first two were good then this promised that things could indeed get even better.

She almost cried when she felt Mawile's tongue pull away from her, on the verge of getting up to ask if the Pokemon was okay or wanted to stop, when she felt the tongue probing lower down until it found what it wanted and slid inside her just like Eevee had done before. This felt different though, especially as the tongue kept advancing until she could've sworn it was actually a mile long and all of it inside her. 

It was truly clever with its jaws though, as she felt it moving until the lip of its upper jaw was rubbing against her where the tongue had been moments before as that same tongue proceeded to start pumping in and out of her, slowly at first but Iona could feel the pace increasing. She tried to pay attention to what was happening, she truly did, but at that moment, just as the tongue was picking up to a rather frenetic pace and she could hear the Mawile making very happy sounds of its own, Eevee nipped her from where he was still suckling at her and that was the tipping point. 

Iona made a mewling sound she didn't know she could make, her hands twisting in the blankets and pulling them askew as her back arched until she could've sworn she'd bent in half. Then, just as quickly, she flopped down bonelessly, gasping like a Goldeen out of water. She ignored the Whismurs as they again put up a fuss over her making noise, knowing they'd settle down shortly.

“Oh... oh M-mawile...” she looked to see the Mawile had turned so its face was to her. She smiled at it and beckoned it over, forcing her hand to move. Her entire body felt loose and relaxed so it actually took a great deal of effort to even do that.

The Mawile came up to stand next to her, its eyes bright with curiosity. It made a questioning sound and Iona took a guess and replied, “Y-yes, that was won-wonderful. You m-made me feel wonderful. Thank you s-s-so much, Mawile.” Eevee, seemingly done with teasing her breasts for the moment, added to her words with a few sounds of his own. The Mawile seemed pleased with itself as it turned away.

Iona tried to watch it go but gave up, flopping her head back down and groaning as she forced herself to turn onto her side. Eevee trilled in amusement and she shot him an annoyed look that she knew was completely spoiled by the smile on her face. She gave him a quick kiss when he moved near her face, then wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

“All my bones are gone,” she told him, “so we'll have to stay here until they come back.”

They laid together in companionable silence, listening to the Whismurs bumbling about and the Solrock ventured forward enough for Iona to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye before it retreated back again.

The two of them stayed in the cave and Iona caught herself dozing off. She shook herself and said, “We need to get back to the house or we'll fall asleep out here. We told Mary we would help her tomorrow, remember?” she added when Eevee made a reproving sound. At that he grumbled but got up, nipping at her hip when she was slow to follow.

Iona laughed and began to put her clothes back in order, adding on the layers until she was comfortably cocooned against the weather. She was just reaching for her hat when she saw a glitter from the corner of her eye. It wasn't the Solrock, she realized when she caught the flash again.

The Whismurs began to stir uneasily, their voices already rising, when Iona moved to the front of them to see what had spooked them so. Her eyes had just started to adjust when the Pokemon stepped into the meager light of her lamp and leered up at her, its eyes twinkling.

“I-I-I don't kn-know who you are,” Iona said quietly, spreading her arms to keep the Whismurs safely behind her, “b-b-b-b-but we would l-like for you to le-le-leave us alone. Pl-please.”

The Pokemon made no sound, but merely stared. She didn't know at what since its eyes were gems, but it stared. Eevee stood by her, watching it just as steadily, and Iona frowned at it. 

“Wh-what do you want?” she demanded.

The Pokemon pointed. Iona turned to look and saw only the cave curling back into darkness behind her. She'd never been past the point of her little nest, finding herself content to let whatever was in the dark stay there since the Whismurs never seemed in the least worried about it. If those fretful little creatures weren't worried then she wasn't either, she'd decided.

“You want to go b-back there?” she asked, relaxing. The Pokemon made a sound that seemed affirmative. Iona took a chance and shepherded the Whismurs to the side, stroking their heads when they fussed, and watched discreetly as the mystery Pokemon shot past her and into the darkness at the back of the cave.

She kissed the Whismurs goodbye and took her lantern, walking back to the house in the deepening twilight with Eevee by her side. She pondered on the Pokemon they'd seen, and how none of them had wanted to attack each other. To hear her brother or father tell it wild Pokemon only wanted to attack, and woe betide anyone who didn't have a Pokemon of their own to defend them. The ones she'd met in her wanderings had all been skittish or curious, even the ones she'd heard were mean like the Murkrows. The worst they did was swoop down to steal bread before she could crumble it for the others, and even that wasn't too bad. It just meant she was careful to make it into crumbs before she headed out, nothing more.

Contemplating this, she and Eevee made their way inside the house. She yelped when she turned the corner and nearly ran headlong into Mary coming the other way with a pile of sheets in her arms. They both yelped and it was only Mary's quick thinking that kept the sheets from flying out of her grip.

“I'm so s-s-sorry!” Iona said, clasping a hand to her chest to try and slow her suddenly racing heart.

“Oh it's fine dear! I just got startled, that's all.” She shifted the sheets and looked down at Eevee with a smile, “Did you take good care of our girl, Eevee?”

Iona blushed. “Y-yes,” and she looked to see Eevee sneaking looks at her that seemed unbearably smug. She fidgeted.

Mary, seeming not to notice any of this, laughed. “You know, Iona, one of the girls was telling me that she gave you a risque book. Was it the one of the trainer and her Lopunny? She does love that one.”

Iona blinked and tilted her head in confusion. “N-no, it was about an ad-adv-adventurer and a seer-r-r. Is there o-one about a t-trainer and her Poke-Pokemon?”

The maid laughed again. “Oh my yes! There are books about everything, you know. Most people don't admit it, but I know folk who have relations with their Pokemon quite happily. It gets tricky though, what with consent and all that.” She looked thoughtful at this.

Iona, suddenly struck with a thought, fidgeted again. “C-consent is sa-sa-saying yes or no, i-i-isn't it?”

“Oh drat,” Mary said, “no one told you about this, did they? You poor thing. Come in here with me. We'll sit and have a chat.”

The group went into the nearest guest bedroom. Iona didn't bother with what number it was. It was clean and empty, just like all the rest, and Mary guided her to one of the two chairs in front of the fire place.

“Now, Iona my dear, my shift ends soon so I can't get into everything with you, but consent is a very important thing. The most important, even.” Mary looked at her with serious eyes, and Iona felt very solemn and grown up as the maid went on. “If you want to have sex with a person, and sex can be a great many things, not just a penis in a vagina, both people have to agree to it. If one says no, or I'm not sure, or not right now, then it stops there. You understand?”

Iona nodded.

“That's my girl. Now what's the big difference between Pokemon and people?”

Iona fidgeted her fingers, trying hard to find the right answers, when Mary reached over to still her nervous hands with a touch. “They don't speak as we do, do they?” Iona shook her head. “That's right. So what happens if you ask a Pokemon if they want to have sex with you? What happens?”

“The-the-they can't s-say yes?” Iona hazarded.

Mary nodded this time. “Some can't, that's right. If you ask something like a Slowpoke then it can't really answer, now can it? No. Now some Pokemon are quite smart, like your Eevee here or my Alakazam. Now, that isn't to say I'd have sex with either of them, fetching though you are sir,” Mary winked at Eevee and Iona giggled at his disgruntled look, “but I like to think such as them could understand yes or no. We train them to understand very complex things, after all, and they understand that, don't they?”

“D-d-does everyone think that? That some P-Pokemon can consent?”

“Oh heavens no. There are people who say that no one can say no, or that if they buy someone a gift then that person must have sex with them, and all kinds of things. This is just my thoughts, and my thought is: be kind and be respectful. Don't take advantage.” She patted Iona's hands, glancing at the clock as she did, “I hope that helps you, but for now I have to go. I'm afraid something big is happening soon, so be watching. We'll try to get you out if we can but be ready.”

Iona stiffened and nodded. The maids were her early warning system, something that Ava had left in her stead those many years ago. As Mary left, pulling out the Pokeball she kept her Alakazam in sometimes, Iona ducked out of the room and hurried through the house to her own room. Well, her real room. The one she'd been assigned had long been abandoned and now she sheltered in one of the more remote guest rooms, far removed from her parents and Tristen's room. It had become cozy, added to in bits and bobs over the years, and when she opened the door she sighed happily. She brushed her hand over the little stack of books she'd accumulated, stolen here and there or given to her by the maids.

“Well Eevee, at l-least there were no fights tod-day. I got worried when that one in the cave sh-showed up, you know? B-b-but he just w-wanted to get back, n-nothing el-el-else and that was o-ok-okay and...”

If Iona were honest with herself, she was babbling. Anything to fill the silence and keep her from thinking about Mary's warning, and what might be coming. It could be her father was angry at Iona again, or her mother suspicious of her father's Gardevoir, or Tristen coming back, or anything in the world.

Iona shivered as she stripped down, still chattering away but tangling up her words as she went. She took off her skirt then cried out as one of the buttons popped off, rolling under the bed. Iona knelt down on the rug, glad at least it was there to keep her off the hardwood floor, and began groping under the bed for her button.

A second later she felt fur against her thighs before Eevee's paws came down on either side of her hips and he slid inside her as quick as a blink. Iona didn't even have time to cry out before he was thrusting into her, harder than in the cave, his weight rocking her back and forth across the soft rug so her nipples brushed against the fabric in a way that didn't help her keep herself together at all.

She couldn't even form words, too caught up in the feelings that were building in her. That strange tension was rising already, building up and up as Eevee thrust faster and harder. Her hands gripped the rug and twisted it up as the tension rose to a crescendo then snapped, rolling through her like a tide and stealing all her tension away until she collapsed onto the rug, her limbs loose.

Eevee kept going until he repeated what he'd done in the cave, stiffening up before a few final thrusts and a retreat. This time he didn't lick up what was left behind, but instead came up to Iona and nuzzled her chin, insistent, until at length she hauled herself up and, guided by Eevee, made her way into the bathroom. He stared at her until she got into the tub, then scrabbled at the knobs with his paws until she laughed and turned them herself.

Once the tub was full enough he plopped down into the water with her, instantly becoming something less like an Eevee and more like a Rattata as all his fur slicked down. He cavorted in the water, ducking under to blow bubbles, and splashing water about until Iona was laughing. Eevee kept up the performance for the entirety of the bath, even as Iona soaped them both up and jokingly used him as a wash rag, rubbing him across her chest and neck. He protested with only a slight nip to her jaw, though it had the effect of making her suck in a breath and wonder at how sensitive her body suddenly felt. Judging by the intent interest on Eevee's face he'd noticed it too.

Iona smiled shyly. “I guess we should get out, h-huh? The wa-water is getting c-c-cold.”

The two of them climbed out of the tub, availing themselves of fluffy towels that the maids brought fresh every day. Iona took great care to dry Eevee thoroughly, bringing him back up to full fluffiness, before she worried about herself. Eevee hopped up onto the chair in front of the vanity, watching her with a new sort of interest. She found herself blushing as she dried herself off, and then realized she was going slower than usual.

Iona quickly finished drying herself off after that little realization, then hurried into the bedroom to slip on her nightgown. It wasn't much of a gown, more the idea of fabric and some lace, but she liked it. Plus, she thought with a blush, she thought Eevee might prefer it now too. He'd had the habit of nibbling at the neckline even before, doing it to amuse himself while in her lap if she was otherwise occupied by a book. Either way it made her feel pretty, and as she finger combed her hair she realized that suddenly that was something she wanted.

Slowly she climbed into bed. Eevee clambered up beside her and cuddled in close to her side. She reached out, pulled Eevee close to her chest, and asked, “Did I t-t-t-take advantage of you, Eevee? In the ca-ca-cave? I didn't ask your permission.”

Eevee huffed, then leaned up to nip her jaw. She sucked in a breath and found herself shifting as Eevee climbed on top of her, his front paws on her clavicle, and she felt something press against her from where his back legs rested. His nip was followed by licks, and Iona had a second of breathless wonder at where he'd learned to do that, before his licking led him down to her nipples, shifting himself down her body so he was perfectly positioned. He paused to consider then seemed to make a decision. Delicate as could be, he licked one breast through the fabric until he could close his mouth around the nipple itself. The feeling of his tongue, laving across her, and the fabric moving as well was new and quite pleasant. Iona shifted her legs with a moan and reached down to pull up the skirt, blushing a bit as she did.

“I li-like it when you're i-i-inside m-me,” she explained to his curious look. He was still for a second before he went back to her nipple, switching from one to the other. He didn't stop until she was panting, her legs shifting and opening in invitation. That was when he abandoned her breasts, though not without one last nip as he pulled back, and made his way down to stand beside her hip. He butted his head gently against it, then when she asked what he wanted trilled and butted it again.

“What...? O-oh! Did you w-want me to tu-turn over?”

Eevee hopped in excitement, trilling agreement, and she had hardly turned over before he was between her legs again. She was starting to feel herself tense up deliciously when she felt his fur against her skin, she realized as he fit himself between her thighs and thrust himself in without the preamble of the cave. It was like he was making a point, she thought to herself distantly as he began to rock her with the force of his pumping in and out of her, that this wasn't her doing at all. It was his, only his, and he would be the one exercising the right to do this with her. Even with the Mawile that had been with his blessing, so to speak, and with him there to oversee it.

Somehow that thought, the thought of Eevee being the one who would decide the how and when of this happening between them, shot fire straight down into her belly and she found herself with that strange tension snapping before she'd even realized it had built. It seemed to surprise Eevee too, but in a different way. He started going even harder, rocking her as he brought himself to that same crescendo she'd already reached.

“Orgasm,” she murmured belatedly, remembering the word from the book as Eevee finished and began cleaning her. He ignored her in favor of what he was doing, which she was perfectly fine with. By the time he finished she'd already fallen asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My knowledge of Pokemon is about eighteen years old. I am not even sorry for all the things that are tremendously off with behaviors and habitats.

She woke up to Eevee curled up in her arms, his head tucked up under her chin. She pulled him in close, listening to his sleepy trills of contentment, and smiled as she buried her face in his fur. It was a wonderful way to wake up, especially since she was so relaxed from what all they'd done the night before. She blushed to think of it but smiled still. It had been nice.

Iona sniffed the air curiously as her brain slowly kicked into gear. She smelled breakfast, toast and fruit, and looked over to see a tray on the floor. One of the maids had been kind enough to bring her food, something they didn't always have time to do. Iona smiled and made a mental note to find out who it was and thank them.

“L-let's go outside, Eevee,” she whispered, kissing the top of his head and watching as he blearily blinked up at her before closing his eyes and shaking himself awake. When his eyes opened next they were bright and he bounced out of her arms, twirling in a circle on the covers before hopping to the floor. He immediately ran to fetch the big bandanna that had been designed the food carrier, carrying it to Iona with great pride. He puffed out his chest when she took it from him and she couldn't help but to lean down and kiss his head. “You are the be-best boy, Eevee.”

He pranced in a circle, tickling her cheek with his tail as she tried to pack the bandanna. She laughed, batting his tail away from her only for him to redouble his efforts. In the end she grabbed him and hugged him against her side, using the other hand to finish packing their breakfast.

Eevee, delighted with his new position, immediately plunged his head down the front of her nightgown and latched onto the nearest nipple. Iona gasped as his tongue swept across it and immediately, but gently, pulled him away and held him up so they were eye to eye. It wasn't terribly easy, given his size, but she managed it and said as sternly as she knew how, “Eevee! We n-n-need breakfast! We can do that af-after, okay?”

Eevee trilled and wriggled out of her grip, nudging the now bundled bandanna toward Iona until she picked it up and tucked it into a messenger bag she'd slung over her shoulder. She stopped, looked at the bag, looked at herself, then groaned. She took the bag off her shoulder, rolling her eyes, and set it on the ground before going into the closet to pull an outfit together

It took her only about ten minutes, sifting through racks and stacks of clothes to find what she needed and struggling into one of her bras. It was one the maids had brought her so it fit marginally better than the rest, even if it cut into her a little. Forgoing the layers of the night before she chose instead a pair of thermal leggings and a hoodie, matching them with snug boots that bore the marks of their frequent hikes into the forest and nearby mountains. When she caught Eevee looking at her she blushed and explained, “We'll c-come back ins-s-side before it gets too c-cold, so I do-don't need to w-wear lots of layers.”

Eevee rolled onto his back, a sure sign he was bored, and she rolled her eyes in return. “F-fine!” she laughed, reaching down to ruffle his fur as she grabbed the messenger bag and slung it back over her shoulder. She hunted in one of the drawers and smiled to see that the maids had given her more of the granola bars the bird Pokemon they met loved. They were made with all kinds of dried Berries and crumbled perfectly. She stuffed two in the bag, forced the zipper to shut, then she and Eevee made their way out of the house.

Halfway across the field that led into the forest they were besieged by Pidgeys. Laughing, Iona waved her arms while Eevee jumped up and trilled at them. Iona believed it was her that convinced them to land and not Eevee asking them to. It was an obvious lie, and even more obvious when she told it to Eevee. He shook his head at her then trilled until she fished out one of the bars from her bag, opening it and crumbling it into pieces before throwing it out to the waiting Pokemon. They fell to their meal with gusto, Spearow and Murkrow sneaking in to help themselves to the bounty. Iona threw a little extra to them and when they looked at her in shock she shrugged. “You d-deserve some t-t-too,” she told them.

Eevee trilled and they went on, going into the forest and making their way to the lake. It was quite the hike, leading them around the base of the mountain, but it always lifted Iona's heart to see the water. She and Eevee had breakfast well back from the water though. She was afraid of deep water, truth be told, and at least once she'd seen a fin break the surface that didn't belong to any small Pokemon she'd ever heard of. She had gulped and hidden behind a tree, sure she'd just seen signs of a Gyrados. She knew to be scared of them, and since that day she hadn't gone near the water's edge.

Instead she hung back, sharing bits of her breakfast with the little group of Shroomish and the Breloom that guided them. Iona almost screamed when she felt a touch on her shoulder and whirled to see a Skitty skittering back, just as shocked as Iona herself.

“Oh! I'm s-s-s-s-so sorry, Sk-skitty! I didn't know it w-was you!” Iona held out a Berry as an apology and after a tense few seconds the Skitty took it.

Their breakfast, huge though it had been, was quickly decimated as various Pokemon came to get their shares. Iona loved on what ones approached her and nodded respectfully to the others. She thought she caught a glimpse of the Mawile she knew through the trees and blushed to think of what it and she had done together, then caught Eevee's eye and blushed even deeper. She could've sworn Eevee laughed in his way, but by then the bandanna and bag were both empty but for a few things. She focused on that instead of the feelings that the memories were bringing up. Those were far too distracting for where they were.

Iona stood and shouldered the bag. “Let's go wa-walking, Eevee.”

Bidding farewell to the Pokemon that had come out to see them, the two of them struck off. Trusting Eevee to lead them back home, Iona picked a direction and began walking. It was a good way to keep her mind off the maid's warning and away from the house, which was the whole point.

Eventually the two of them reached a break in the trees. “Oh, l-look!” Iona said, excited. “We f-f-found a meadow! How pr-pretty!” It wasn't quite a meadow, instead being an opening out where the trees receded and there was a space of grass before the mountain reared up. It was a favorite haunt of lots of Pokemon, but the grand majority kept their distance even now.

Eevee hung back, his ears flattening back against his skull, hackles rising, and Iona frowned. “Wh-what? What's wrong?”

He shook his head like something was buzzing at his ears and trilled low, the closest she'd come to hearing him growl like her brother's Houndoom had done. It wasn't a pleasant sound to hear him make and Iona hugged herself. “Eevee, you're sc-sc-scaring me.”

He looked at her with something akin to shock on his face, then leapt up to brace his paws against her thighs and trilled until she picked him up. She patted him and leaned her head against his side, saying softly, “It's o-okay. Let's g-g-g-go climb a bit, ok-k-kay?”

Eevee made a sound of discontent and stayed in her arms until she stepped out past the treeline. She set him down and they walked together. Iona leaned down to stroke his back on occasion and he rubbed his head against her leg in appreciation.

It wasn't until she reached the row of jutting stones that separated her from the mountainside ledge she was aiming for at the other side of the meadow that things went wrong. Iona began clambering over it, clinging to the outcroppings where needed and trying to keep her footing on the uneven surface. Eevee hung back, something she didn't realize until she felt the earth began to move.

She shrieked, tumbling head over heels back onto the grass, landing hard on her back. All the air whooshed out of her lungs and she was left gasping, trying to get her air back, and then forgetting about that entirely as a massive Pokemon she'd never seen before heaved itself up out of the ground. It was the row of stones she'd been trying to climb and by the looks of things it wasn't happy that she'd done so. It tilted its head so its jutting jaw was out of the way, looking down on Iona with a sort of angry delight she'd never seen before. It opened its mouth and a horrible sound came roaring out, blasting against her with an almost physical force.

Then Eevee was there, planting himself squarely between Iona and this new Pokemon. It seemed to take a minute to notice Eevee, stopping to examine this new contender, and giving Iona time to scramble to her feet. She didn't know what the Pokemon was, but she knew ill intent when she saw it and her natural instincts kicked in hard. She took off running, pelting hell for leather back to the trees and the safety they gave.

She heard Eevee trilling angrily behind her, covering her exit. She knew it down to her bones, knowing him and knowing herself and knowing that he wouldn't appreciate her trying to rescue him when he was the one who was anywhere near being equipped to handle such a thing. So she ran.

She reached the trees and turned on her heel, screaming for Eevee, only to see the giant Pokemon lunge at him. This time her scream was of terror as she watched it plummet toward her best friend, sure she was about to watch the best part of her life die horribly because she hadn't been paying attention. It hit the ground with an earth shaking impact, rattling her bones and almost forcing her to her knees from the earth quaking.

Then, a miracle. Eevee was there one moment, dead in its sights, then thirty feet away the next as the other Pokemon came crashing down, Eevee's outline blurred as he began zipping around the grass. The big Pokemon roared, rearing back up and swaying as it tried to track him. He didn't give it the chance. He kept dodging and darting, working his way to Iona.

He turned once, sacrificing his full attention, and trilled at her in the loudest, most insistent voice she'd ever heard him use. She clung to her tree and shook her head once, trying to understand, then when he trilled again she obeyed. She turned and began to run, dodging trees and Pokemon both as she tried to put as much distance as she could between herself and the Pokemon raging behind her. She ignored the tears streaking down her cheeks and the sobs that made breathing that much harder. She was running, leaving behind the best part of her life, but she knew if she went back he wouldn't be happy with her over it. He was fighting to keep her safe.

So she ran.

Pokemon scattered as she came hurtling by, ones that she was normally friendly with crying out in distress as she zipped past. At least, some did. The others looked behind her and bleated in fear, each crying out in its own way, before vanishing into the underbrush. That told her more than enough as to what that crashing sound was behind her.

She skirted the lake, not sure if going close would rouse the giant Pokemon within to help her or to attack her as well. Instead she pelted, hell for leather, back to the house. Her breath was hitching in her chest, her legs burning, but somehow she didn't stop. She kept going and going, some distant part of herself surprised at her own endurance, while the rest kept screaming that she was leaving Eevee.

A flock of Pidgeys startled into the air when she came bursting out of the trees, only making it a short way past the treeline before her legs simply gave out on her. She sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, and felt more than saw the flock of Pidgeys reassemble around her. It was a Spearow though that ended up gently pecking at her hand, rousing her enough that she looked blearily up at the Pokemon around her. Iona could barely see them through her tears.

“E-e-e-e-eevee!” she cried, then curled up in a ball and felt her chest tightening, a sure precursor to sobbing.

Time, however, would not allow her to grieve. Iona had only cried for what felt like a moment before she heard shouting. Every muscle shaking, she hauled around to see who was yelling. That was when several things happened at once in a tumult of action.

Behind her back she heard trees cracking and breaking, the ground splitting as the massive Pokemon came thundering out of the treeline and into the open. She barely had time to register her father and brother coming out of the house toward her before she whipped around to face the Pokemon as it thundered ever closer.

“Where is Eevee!” she tried to scream but the words tangled up in her throat, changed into a horrible keening that scared even her. It startled the flock around her as well, as they all took flight just as she spotted Eevee darting out of the trees and up the Pokemon's back. The relief she felt couldn't be described in words and she watched as he zipped about, somehow managing to damage the much larger Pokemon despite its rocky skin, judging by how it flinched and roared at him. Still it moved toward her, the ground disappearing beneath it at an alarming rate. It would be on her in minutes, if even that long.

She noticed all this in a breath of time as she frantically scrambled to her feet, slowing as she did as she saw the flock swooping down on the impending Pokemon, crying out and deviling it with wings and claws and beaks alike. It roared and thrashed. The bird Pokemon merely winged back, waited, then descended again. Entranced by their attack she paused, watching, only to hear her father shouting behind her.

Suddenly aware of a threat entirely apart from the giant Pokemon she bolted, not toward the house or the trees but off to the side. It was open ground and she didn't know where she was going, only that she didn't want to be near her father, brother, or the giant Pokemon. That's why when she heard it roar again, enraged and confused, she didn't see why but only caught the sight of its tail disappearing into the ground as it burrowed away, the flock heading into the trees to rest after it had vanished.

Eevee, now much worse for wear but looking terribly proud of himself, stood alone on the fractured ground, standing rather impressively on top of a jutting stone. He trilled to her and she made a sound that wasn't a laugh or a sob but somehow both at once. Forgetting her family she rushed to Eevee, gathering him up in her arms and swinging him in a circle as she laughed through the tears that still streaked down her face.

“Y-y-y-you're okay!” she cheered, rubbing her cheek against his fur. It was matted with dirt and mud but she didn't care. Neither did Eevee.

The moment died when she heard her father shouting, “Iona!” from just behind her. Somewhere in her mind she wondered why it had taken so long for them to reach her. Maybe they'd gone back to the house to hide? She dropped Eevee and shifted to stand in front of him, all cheer erased as she turned to face her father and brother.

Their father was red in the face, shouting to demand to know how stupid Iona had to be to have managed to get a Steelix angry enough to come out to open ground, among other insults that were more of the typical fare. His Gardevoir wasn't in sight and Iona had a moment of hoping that maybe it had escaped before a slap to the face reminded her of where she was. She raised a hand to her cheek and stepped back, seeking distance, and only realized her error a second later when Eevee surged forward, his fur bristling.

Her brother laughed. He wasn't angry. She didn't trust that. “You did a good job, Iona!” he said, clapping his hands like it had all been a performance put on for his sake. In a lightning strike of understanding she realized what was going on. He'd come to take Eevee back. That was why he was here.

“R-r-ru-ru-ru-” she tried so hard to warn him, to tell him to run while he still could, but she never got the chance.

Before she could speak Tristen had pulled out a Pokeball, tossing it up and down in his hand. “Come on, Eevee. You're ready to be my Pokemon now.”

She saw Eevee's head turn from her father to her brother, saw him hone in on Tristen and what was in his hand, and just as quickly as he'd gone to attack the Steelix she saw his stance shift. He was getting ready.

Tristen's hand drew back, readying for the throw, but then there was a flash of... something. A light and a shifting and suddenly Eevee wasn't there anymore. In his place stood something of delicacy and ribbons, a Pokemon she'd never seen before. It was still her Eevee, she knew that logically, but right at that moment she was staring at a stranger.

The new Pokemon, not Eevee anymore but still him, backed up until it stood beside her. Its – his, she reminded herself sternly – face was sweet as he turned to look at her. He stood taller now and she could've sworn he smiled at her as the ribbons that wafted around him wrapped gently around her hand and forearm. They were soft against her skin. Instantly she felt calmer, safer, and turned to face her family with a serenity that made even the hotness of her face where she'd been slapped a negligible thing.

Now Tristen looked angry. His face was almost purple with rage where their father's now was almost white. Both of them were staring at what Eevee had become. The Pokemon's voice was sweet as he trilled, “Sylveon!” and that broke the strange stillness that had fallen over the other two.

“What did you do?!” Tristen thundered with the same rage she'd seen so often in her life. “The hell is that thing?! WHERE IS MY EEVEE!”

Sylveon tilted his head. He trilled in question, though Iona could've sworn she heard an undercurrent of smugness to his trill. She was still enveloped in the same calm, focused more on the feel of his ribbons stroking her wrist, and that allowed her to answer slowly and clearly, “I didn't do anything. Eevee is here.”

Tristen started forward, his fist raised, and Iona had no doubt that he intended to beat her like he used to do. Sylveon stepped forward, stretched out one of his ribbons, and wrapped it around Tristen's ankle. He stopped dead in his tracks and blinked like he was coming out of a trance. Sylveon turned and looked at their father, sweetness in his eyes, and the man did the same, blinking hard.

“I don't want a damn girly Pokemon,” Tristen muttered when Sylveon pulled his ribbon back. Their father nodded, patting his son on the shoulder. “We'll get you a better one. Maybe a Sandslash. One of your mother's contacts just hatched a big Sandshrew....” His words trailed off as the two turned and walked away.

Sylveon came back to her side and wrapped a ribbon around her wrist, the other stroking up and down her forearm in a very distracting way. “Did you do that?” she asked, taking a moment to marvel at how clearly she spoke, before being distracted by Sylveon's nod. He looked sly but still sweet, though she was beginning to think that looking sweet was just his baseline now. It was hard not to look sweet when one had built in bows and ribbons.

Pink tipped ears twitched and Sylveon began to walk, gently drawing Iona along with him. She balked when she noticed him leading her toward the forest, doubtless back to their cave. Normally she would've been all for that, but all she could see now was the torn up ground where the giant Pokemon had been. Iona dug in her heels and when he looked back at her she shook her head. “I can't, Eevee – I mean, Sylveon. I can't go back just yet. P-please let's go to the house. I think we can avoid my family if we're careful.”

He stared at her for a handful of seconds and she couldn't begin to guess what was going through his head. In the end he nodded and changed course for the house. Her father and brother had already disappeared inside, going in through the main doors. Sylveon and Iona made a quiet entrance through the side doors instead, listening at every corner just in case her father or brother decided to go roaming about. Her mother almost never left her office.

They made it to her room without incident. Sylveon went in first, unwinding his ribbons from her wrist to inspect the room for danger. It wasn't until she got inside and closed the door that she saw the little gift on the bed and a card that sported a glittery Cleffa holding a sign saying “Happy Birthday!!!” that she remembered what day it was.

Sylveon, busy inspecting the present, turned at the sound of Iona's quiet laughter. “It's m-m-my birthday,” she explained. “Happy b-birthday to me.”

Sylveon trilled and walked over to her closet, disappearing inside only to reappear a second later with one of her bathrobes in his mouth. It was big and fluffy, comfortable and just what she needed after the chaos of the day. With a start she realized it wasn't even the evening yet, but she was already tired.

“Come on, S-slyveon. Let's t-t-t-take a b-bath.” She took the robe from the Pokemon and leaned down to kiss him on the nose. He lifted his muzzle and licked her lips instead, making her sputter and giggle at the strange feeling.

Iona drew a bath and slipped out of her dirty clothes, regretfully noting tears and holes from her mad dash to safety. Hopefully the maids wouldn't mind repairing the damage. Asking her parents to buy her more would only end in disaster. Syvelon sat primly, his tail curled around his paws and his ribbons waving idly, but there was no mistaking the keen interest in his eyes as he watched her undress. She blushed but otherwise ignored him, though she did happen to see him twitch like he wanted to move when she bent over in front of him to fetch a towel. If she were honest with herself she might have been testing him a little, trying to see what he'd do.

The only thing that happened was him hopping into the bathtub after her. She soaped them both up, aiming to get off all the dirt and mud and other debris they'd both collected, and once she felt they'd both been sufficiently cleaned she drained the water, pushing dirt down the drain with her feet, then filled the tub up again. She leaned back in the clean water with a sigh, soaking up the warmth and barely noticing when Slyveon settled himself on her chest. His weight wasn't nearly so negligible as it had been when he was Eevee, she realized as the air was slowly compressed out of her lungs. She gasped a laugh and gently pushed him off so she could breathe. He looked at her quizzically.

“Sorry,” she told him, lifting her hand to gently scratch behind his ears. One of his ribbons immediately wrapped around her wrist. He laid his head down between her breasts, staring up at her and waiting for his answer. “I couldn't breathe really well with you on my chest like that.”

Iona tilted her head back, enjoying the water, and let her mind wander. Sylveon seemed content to do the same, moving so he was curled against her side. One ribbon stayed around her wrist.

Oddly enough her mind returned to Sylveon's lick to her lips earlier. It had felt strange but nice. Iona frowned as she thought of it, then blushed and asked shyly, “Sylveon? Did you kiss me?”

He gave a lazy trill that seemed affirmative in nature. She waited a second, gathering her courage, and then asked, “Could... could we do it again?”

Sylveon stared at her for a second, his ears flicking, then turned himself smartly only to duck under the water and pull the plug from the drain. Iona laughed as the water drained away and Sylveon emerged again, huffing and shaking his head to get the water from his ears. He was bedraggled and decidedly out of his element.

“Well,” she giggled, “you're d-definitely n-n-not a water type!”

He shot her a look that was deadpan as anything, then hopped out of the tub and pulled a towel off the chair where Iona had left them, draping it over himself and using his ribbons to try and rub himself dry with it. It wasn't working and Iona took pity on him as she stepped out of the tub herself, reaching over to tug the towel off him.

“L-l-let me,” she said. She knelt on the floor in front of him on the rug, patting the space between her folded legs until he stepped between them and sat primly, still bedraggled but looking at least mildly dignified about it. Iona smiled down at him and dropped a kiss on his head before wrapping the towel around him and gently beginning to dry him off.

Sylveon closed his eyes, seeming to luxuriate in the feeling of her ministrations, before she saw him crack open one eye. Casual as anything he leaned forward, delicately licking one of her breasts and making Iona gasp. He paid her no mind, continuing in his gentle licks, exploring the roundness of her, until her hands stopped moving. He huffed at her in mild reproach and she shivered, her hands starting to move again in a desultory manner.

Iona bit her lip, trying to stifle the moan that was building up inside her, when she felt his tongue on her nipple and realized she'd closed her eyes. Her hands clenched in the towel, unconsciously pulling Sylveon closer, as his mouth closed over her nipple and he began gently suckling on it. Now she gave up any pretense of toweling him off. She looked down and saw the red that was showing itself between Sylveon's legs. He seemed unconcerned about it, instead tilting his head and letting his tongue drag slowly across her skin until she swore she could feel it deep in her belly, where all his efforts seemed to collect before her orgasms would ripple through her as it all came to a head. Even now she could feel it building bit by bit.

Iona sucked in a breath, trying to think around the sensation that, here she scolded herself around the fuzzy delight that his attentions brought, she should've been used to by now. It wasn't like he'd never done it before, but it never stopped feeling wonderful, she admitted. If it felt this good for her though when he did things like that then.... Then maybe she could return the favor like she'd read about in the book that had started this whole thing.

Her eyes fell again and she let her hand drift forward, brushing against him only to gasp when it twitched against her hand. One of his ribbons wrapped around her wrist, urging her fingers closed and then pulling her hand up and down the length of him as she felt him shudder before switching breasts, now licking with greater enthusiasm. She matched his energy with her own, letting her hand go quicker up and down and marveling at the texture beneath her fingers.

She gasped again when she felt something brush against her thigh. She looked to see two of his ribbons had descended, gently trailing up and down her inner thighs but growing more insistent the longer she stroked the length of him. They moved up and in until they reached the part of her he seemed to like the best, gently delving in and pulling until she was bared under his eyes as he looked down and she saw him lick his lips.

Iona gulped down a breath, guessing what was coming next, and moved to the steps of the bath as Sylveon stood and pressed his chest to hers, pushing her back until she was halfway up the steps, bracing on her hands with her back against the edge of the bath.

She felt his ribbons retreat from between her legs only for him to slam into her a second later, pushing in harder and faster than he had before. Iona moaned, her head lolling back against the edge of the bath as his ribbons brushed against her nipples, coaxing them to attention as he pounded her against the tiles. His paws were on either side of her hips and when she lifted her head again it was to find him waiting. He opened his mouth and his tongue snaked out to slip between her lips as she moaned again. 

The sensation was a strange one, but not unpleasant. She leaned onto it, tilting her head as he slowed his thrusts to devote more attention to what was now happening between their mouths. His tongue was wide and flat, perfect in how it curled around her nipples and between her thighs but strange in her mouth. A strange she would be happy to get used to. 

She gently touched his cheek, rubbing her fingers across the delicate bones of his jaw and pulled back to see him regarding her sweetly. His mouth seemed now to be always halfway to a smile, she realized as he held her gaze and thrust himself into her so hard she cried out, hands flying back to grip the edges of the steps. Iona was sure she’d have bruises from this later but then his ribbons did something between her legs and she was lost, gone in her orgasm as it swept through her like a tsunami. 

Sylveon kept his pace for only another moment before he was gone too. Iona giggled in her newly relaxed state, kissing his nose and giggling more at his sweetly disgruntled look. He pulled out of her. Iona looked down at the mess between them and sighed. 

“I’ll get back in the tub.”


End file.
